The MacPhail’s Collection 1991 Bunnahabhain (50 ml airline bottle)

Tasting notes:This dram offers a unique syzygy of flavors and aromas reminiscent of Wonka’s Three-Course Dinner Chewing Gum, only that the dessert comes first–and there’s none of the Violet violence on the finish. This dram’s nose is Islay through and through: imagine a delicious chocolate cupcake drenched in honey crawling up your nose as you lounge in a one-of-a-kind Eames chair next to a table of smoldering incense cones made of peat. But to say that much is to neglect the wonderful heathery-ness on the nose: for that, imagine Roller Girl weaving her way up into your sinuses (I could have put her atop the cupcake, I suppose, but one must avoid overloading imagery lest it lose its effect or neglect a key aspect–in this case, the enchanting movement she would have no need to engage in astride a mound of icing). In sum, on the nose, you’ll find peat, honey, chocolate, heather, goodness, and joy. In the mouth, this dram hits you with a perfectly balanced smokey peat hammer and pounds you into blissful submission. This excellent dram cloys at the finish and offers a remarkably savory flavor profile: black pepper and bay leaf simmering in demi-glace in anticipation of being drizzled over osso buco. Unlike Violet, you won’t want it to end. Ever.

(This is one of about 14 minis that John’s brother-in-law brought back to us from a trip to Scotland–a massive coup for us here at the Malt Impostor. So here’s to brother-in-laws: may they all be as generous and as crazy cool as John’s is)